


Notturno drabbles

by SkeletonHellflame



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Gen, Notturno crime family, Occasionally Dialogue Heavy, Organized Crime, Original Character(s), The Night family, Very little focus on the actual feelings of the characters, mafia, mafiosi, personal take on the Cosa Nostra, with very little description
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-06-29 20:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15736395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkeletonHellflame/pseuds/SkeletonHellflame
Summary: Short stories relating to my crime family called Notturno.Most likely centred around the bosses and their families.The stories jump around a lot in time.





	1. Change of Leadership, part 1

"This is a betrayal, you know it."

"No, it isn't. Not even close."

"You're trying to make me leave my position as the Capo famiglia. You're going to take my place, aren't you?"

"Tch, hardly. You know that I've never desired your position, I'm perfectly fine with being Capo bastone."

"Then don't try to overthrow me."

Silence.  
Oscuro Sr and Drago were now merely looking at each other with the desk between them. One with childish defiance and the other with the calm of a parent that tried to convince their child to do as told.

Drago broke the silence.  
"You're too young to remember the oath I gave your father, to ensure Notturno's safety. Whatever it takes and whatever I need to do."

"And you think that I'm a threat now?"

"Yes."

"Ever since my father became too weakened to lead the family I've been the one leading it. I've been responsible for every member."

"Yet, you have let the family down. You dwell in your own misery and let the family suffer from it, suffer the way you do."

Silence again.  
The two men watched each other carefully, calculating. They silently judged each others words.

Once again it was Drago who broke the silence.  
"You knew the risks when you took over after your father, you knew that terrible things could happen. Everyone is out to get you, in one way or another."

"But Silvana..."  
The pain in his tone was unmistakable, it was heartbreaking. He couldn't continue, merely saying her name out loud made him unable to speak.

Drago closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. He remembered the day, a few months back, vividly.  
"She should never have been there."

Oscuro Sr shook his head and rested his forehead against the palms of his hands while staring down at his desk. He didn't cry, he had no more tears to shed.  
"My fault..." was the only thing he managed to say before his voice failed him again.

"You couldn't have foreseen it, no one could have, and now your self-blame doesn't allow you to give your all to the family. It's time to let Junior take over."

Oscuro Sr shook his head again, he didn't want to hear. He didn't want to know that he was letting the family down, didn't want to know that son would take his place because he had become unfit to lead.  
"No, I am the Capo famiglia."

Drago resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It felt like trying to get a child to understand a serious situation.  
"You're unfit to lead and if you aren't leaving your position willingly, I will force you." His tone was stern, he almost sounded disgusted by the younger male's behavior. "You're acting like a child."

Oscuro Sr remained silent, he knew that the older male was right. He leaned back in his chair and sighed.  
"I'll leave my position by the end of the week."

"Good. I will then ensure that Junior gets comfortable with his new rank, while you stay the fuck away."

Oscuro Sr nodded. While he was indeed still the Capo famiglia, the one who was the boss of all members, he still had to listen to Drago.  
Drago was the only one who could give the Capo famiglia orders, it was an unwritten rule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... wanted to write something short and simple with little detail while still trying to tell a lot. There's a high possibility that I failed miserably.  
> This story takes place in the late 60s, probably around 1967 - Scuro Sr is thus in his mid 50s.
> 
> May or may not, at some point, try to write what happened when Silvana died.


	2. Change of Leadership, part 2

"You will take over after your father, you will be the new capo famiglia."

"What," Junior said eloquently.

"Your father has lost his right to lead this family, your time is here."

Junior gazed skeptically at Drago.  
"Why not give him a second chance?"

"He already had his, I have waited for too long to rid of him," Drago paused momentarily. "Prepare to take over by the end of the week."

Junior nodded, he knew he couldn't argue. He knew Drago's word was law, as decreed by Junior's late grandfather. Drago's primary job was to ensure the survival of the family, no matter what.

"When Nero is old enough, you may begin preparing him to take over. I know you never truly desired this position, but fortune does not seem to favor you at this moment."

"Understood."

Drago started to turn away, when he paused.  
"Remember to ignore any advice coming from your father, he will have no further say in any matter. Come to me instead."

"I will."

Drago nodded and proceeded to leave the room, leaving Junior to think of the future of Notturno.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place shortly after Drago's talk with Senior. Junior is clearly more agreeable than Senior is and needs far less persuasion.  
> Again, takes place around 1967 and Junior is around 30.


	3. Alcoholic

" _That's enough!_ "

Michael roughly shoved Nero back into the armchair after confiscating the bottle of alcohol in the man's hand.

"This ends _now_ or I will remove you from your position and your brother _will take your place_! I've had enough of your shit, I've had enough of your current habit of coming to headquarters drunk off your arse."

"You can't--" Nero slurred.

"I can and you know it, it's my goddamned _job_ to ensure the future of Notturno and I refuse to let you stop me" Michael hissed venomously between his teeth. "Verdone ensured that I can do everything I possibly can and if I have to kill you, then I _damn well will_."

Through the drunken haze, Nero remembered his father's teachings. He remembered the power that the man before him had over everyone in the family, unofficially he had more power than even the _capo famiglia_ had.

He knew far too well that Michael would have him killed, personally if he must. It didn't matter that he was practically raised by the man, he would disregard it and do his duty.

"Come to your senses, now have you?" Michael asked sardonically. "Finally breached that thick skull of yours that you're hanging pretty damn precariously. I've given you more than ample time to take care of this problem and you haven't."

Nero sagged in his chair, hiding his face in his hands.  
"I'll go to rehab," he struggled to speak coherently, "and if I relapse, you may remove me. I will go without struggle."

"Smartest thing you've said in years. I didn't look forward to making your sons orphans, not that you didn't do a good job at trying to do it yourself."

Nero winced, he knew exactly what went unsaid.

"Your brother and I will continue to do your job while you sort yourself out, but that's no difference from before now is it?"

Nero slowly shook his head.

"Whether or not you fail, your eldest is still the heir." Michael gazed down at the man with disdain. "Prepare to leave early in the morning, your brother and his wife will continue to look after your sons while you're gone."

With those words, Michael left the room. Slamming the door as he went, a clear sign of how angry he was with the other man.

Nero counted his lucky stars that he had never raised his hand against his sons in his drunkenness, or he wouldn't have gotten any second chances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May or may not write about the event that Michael hinted at when he mentioned Nero's sons being orphaned if he died.  
> Takes place in 1996.
> 
> Drago and Michael are the same person. The latter is his current alias.


	4. Drug Problem

"I thought I had warned you off of that."

Dark swirled around, making a feeble attempt at hiding what he had in his hand. There, only a few metres away, stood the last person he wished to see.

"Don't be silly, I smell the disgusting substance you have in your hand." Michael tilted his head to the side, as though curious to see how Dark would try to cover for himself.

"You don't decide what I do!" Dark blurted and subsequently nearly winced at his own words.

Michael merely continued to regard him like a cat before its prey.  
"Maybe I don't, but nothing stops me from informing your father," he spoke deceptively softly as he slowly walked toward the teen. "He would be most disappointed with you and he would ensure that I straighten you out. Drugs are a nasty business and don't think for a second that you won't get stuck in that swamp if you continue this."

"It's just weed," Dark defended.

"You say that now. What will it be in a few years? " _It's just cocaine_ ", hmm?"

"It--"

"-- won't go that far? You say that now, I've seen many trying to delude themselves that same exact way. I personally know a guy who began like you, " _just smoking weed_ " and soon enough it turned into heavier drugs."  
Michael tilted his head again as he regarded the teen. "Do you truly think you'll be able to avoid chasing the high when weed isn't enough?"

Dark remained quiet, he didn't even look at the older man.

"Can't even deny it, can you?" Michael smirked.

They could hear a car in the distance, getting closer to their location.

"That'd be your father coming."

"What-- no!" Dark turned to run away, but found himself caught in a steel grip.

"No point in trying to escape, kid," Michael chuckled, amused at the attempt.

Far too soon, in Dark's opinion, the sound of car doors slamming reached them. By the unyielding grip on his arm, he was lead to the alley's entrance.  
No matter how much he struggled he couldn't get away, he might as well have weighed as little as a feather as far as Michael was concerned.

"I am very disappointed in you," was the first thing Nero said to his son. "I would have believed you to know better than this."

"I was told, " _it's just weed_ " as though it's something insignificant," Michael helpfully provided.

Dark shot him a betrayed look, even though he knew better than to think that Michael would cover for him in a situation like this. He was still caught in his grip, after all.  
He barely even registered when one of his father's bodyguards liberated him of the weed in his jacket pocket.

Said bodyguard, Amello, showed it to Nero.  
"Cannabis," she said.

"Rid of it," he told her, before turning to his son again. "And _you_ will have the pleasure of being at Michael's mercy until you've learned your lesson. Addiction is nothing to laugh at, you should know this."

"Yes, father," Dark said and lowered his gaze.

"Get in the car."

Dark did as told, dully registering that it was Constantini who held the door open for him. His father and Michael followed him.  
Without further words, they left the area and Dark knew he would have a tough time ahead of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caligo, aka Dark, started smoking weed as a 14-year-old, but was only caught in the act when he was 15.  
> This takes place in 2005, where Dark is 15 and Nero in his 40's.


	5. Family Dinner Shenanigans

"What’s even up with our names?" Rosso asked no one in particular. "I mean, my name is essentially _Red_."

"At least you weren’t named _Darkness_ ," his father, Tenebroso answered.

"Or _Dark_ , for that matter," Caligo added. "And you didn’t get a Latin word for a name, you all got Italian."

"Nero, Rosso, Zaffiro, Violetta, Glauco, Rubina and Amaranta should be happy that they have normal names compared to the rest of us," Tenebroso said pointedly.

"I half wish I got an actual name," Caligo muttered. "I constantly get called _Calico_ or, for whatever reason, _Caligula_."

"Being named _Dark Junior_ isn’t much better," Oscuro Jr grumbled.

"I find it hilarious to hear grandfather and Michael call you Junior," Nero said with a smirk.

"I feel fortunate to be the Senior now," Oscuro Sr added.

"Says the man who named me," Oscuro Jr said with a glare at his father.

Oscuro Sr seemed unrepentant.

"Violetta as a name feels very harmless in the face of all this," Violetta said cheerily.

"I can’t help but notice that no one gave me an actual answer to my question, you all just started comparing who has the worst name." Rosso glanced around the table. "Personally I think grandfather got the worst."

"Thank you for agreeing," Oscuro Jr said drily.

"Your naming convention started ages ago, I understand it’s borderline compulsive," Michael mused.

"It is," Nero confirmed. "You essentially blurt out a name, or rather a word, and evidently it also works on adopted kids. I didn’t even know I knew enough Latin."

"Makes me feel included in some weird ass way," Lux said neutrally.

"We’re _Light_ and _Dark_ ," Caligo grumbled.

Michael chortled.  
"I’ll never not find that funny."

"Glad to have been able to provide you amusement, old man," Nero said drily.

"On the expense of your sons," Caligo muttered.

"Yeah, thanks father," Lux said sarcastically.

"I sure ain’t gonna continue this weird naming thing," Rosso said resolutely.

"I wish you luck, I tried that and look how well that went," Caligo said, glancing at his three children—Carminio, Rubina and Amaranta.

"Someone would probably need to knock you out before the births for it to work," Lux said flippantly.

"Who would volunt— forget I asked." Rosso glanced wearily at Michael who grinned mischievously.

"It wouldn’t work for me, I wouldn’t be able to give birth while knocked out," Violetta pointed out. "... Does the naming convention apply to women as well?"

"Look at my sister’s children," Oscuro Sr replied.

"It means yes," Oscuro Jr clarified.

Violetta groaned.

"I find your naming convention to be adorable," Giuliana said.

"Now this turned for the worse," Glauco muttered under his breath.

"It’s not the end of the world if someone thinks it’s adorable," Leonora chuckled.

"Says you," Zaffiro muttered.

"It’s not that bad," Maria soothed.

"It’s good!" Rubina exclaimed.

Carminio wrinkled his nose, but didn’t disagree with his sister.

"The five-year-old has spoken and so it is decided," Michael proclaimed.

"Yes!" Amaranta decided to butt in, slapping the table as she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could say that it takes place this year, a conversation like this between the Night family and Michael is a common occurrence during Sunday family dinners.  
> There are no images to uphold, just family (and friend) with whom you can relax and be yourself.
> 
> Wrote this while trying to stave off boredom at work and while trying to work up motivation for a different short.


	6. Shot

The shots came from the shadows, the two bodyguards accompanying him fell before they could protect their boss.

Of all the nights that Nero had to be unarmed, it had to be that day.

He managed two steps towards safety before he was shot twice, the aim was clearly to incapacitate him—excruciating as it was to be shot in the hip and shoulder. He didn’t quite thank his lucky stars that neither bullet hit an artery, both wounds hurt far too much for that as he fell with a shout of agony.

Instinctively he tried to get away as the perpetrator slowly made his way toward him, unfortunately he merely fell back down at the attempt. Left leg and right arm were useless.

The man started to speak, just as it slowly started to rain.

It was so cliché that Nero almost wanted to laugh.

Shock.

He was going into shock. He had to be, for that to be his reaction.

He heard nothing of what the man told him, it barely even registered that he was speaking at all.

Until his hearing suddenly became crystal clear when he had a gun pointed at his face.

“—for that, you will _die_ ,” the man hissed hatefully through gritted teeth.

A shot rang out.

The man slumped down on his knees, before he fell face first and hitting the pavement with a sickening crack. Blood pooling around him.

Nero made the mistake of attempting to get up again, when he slumped back down with a hiss. He didn’t know if the new shooter was friend or foe, at least until he heard the sound of someone running before their face appeared within his line of sight— _Amello_.

A Notturno mafiosa.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Boss! … _Shit_!” Amello seemed nearly frantic. No wonder, her boss was slowly bleeding out and she could do nothing to help him.

Sirens blared in the distance, getting nearer. Two different sirens.

“You need to get away from here,” Nero hissed with difficulty, “they can’t find you here.”  
Black spots were appearing in his line of vision, he blinked rapidly as though to chase them away. It didn’t help.

“But—“ Amello began.

“ _It’s an order!_ ” It took him a shocking amount of energy to speak now, he breathed harshly from the effort.

Amello seemed indecisive for a second, before she heeded her boss’ order and ran off in the direction she had come. Desperately hoping her boss would make it and that she hadn’t left him there to die.

A police car turned to the street were Nero lied, the officers quickly exiting the vehicle with their guns drawn.  
Four bodies, were the first thing they saw, before they noticed one of them moving.

One of the officers holstered his gun before he carefully made his way to the survivor, his partner watching his back. He recognised the man, yet he did his duty without fail.

“Call the ambulance here,” he ordered his partner, who complied. All the while, he put pressure on one of the wounds in an attempt to stem the bleeding.

Moments later the ambulance turned to the street, obviously having waited for the police to ensure that it was safe for them to come.

In short order, the ambulance personnel did their best to stabilise the victim and loading him into the ambulance with the help of the officers, quickly making their way to the hospital which was alerted to their impending arrival.

Nero had fallen unconscious by then from the blood loss.

 

Later he would find out that the man, who had killed his bodyguards and nearly killed him, was an ex-military who had been dishonourably discharged and had blamed the notorious mafia for a wide range of things—one of them the murder of his young daughter.  
The mafia was innocent of that particular crime.

Zacharee Amello became one of Nero’s new bodyguards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in 2004.
> 
> I can't really say that I'm particularly proud of this short, but I've been poking at it for too long as it is.


End file.
